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bar, with shows and jam sessions seven nights a week and regular standing gigs for many incredible artists calling New Orleans home. To walk into its small space and take in its dilapidated floors, red tin walls, and deep crimson lighting is to become a part of the Crescent City itself. A photo of poet and “Maple Leaf Laureate” Everett Hawthorne Maddox (“in residence 1976–1989”) and a bottle of his Famous Grouse bourbon hang on the wall; poetry readings are traditional here, too. Musically speaking, it’s pure New Orleans, with nightly performances by the likes of Rebirth Brass Band, Papa Grows Funk, the Radiators, members of the Funky Meters, and surprise appearances by artists of icon status (aka Springsteen; Beyoncé filmed a video here . . .).

You don’t come to the Maple Leaf to drink elaborate cocktails (mixers beyond ice get dicey); you don’t come here to analyze Belgian ales. You come here to soak up soul deeper than the roots of a live oak. After the storm, Walter “Wolfman” Jackson played the first (publicized, at least) New Orleans concert on an emotional night. With the famous Jacques-Imo’s restaurant next door one could make an easy night of it. Just get there.

LÜKE

333 St. Charles Ave. • New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 378–2840 • lukeneworleans.com • Established: 2007

SCENE & STORY

Mid-city native and James Beard award-winning chef John Besh’s Lüke (one of a half dozen eateries he owns) has gorgeous tile floors and high, shiny tin-clad ceilings and a mouthwatering menu of dishes like 25-cent oysters, redfish “court-bouillon” (with crab, shrimp, oysters, and rice); and shrimp “en cocotte” (with creamy white-corn grits and andouille). But it’s the succulent Lüke burger that sings, with juicy tomatoes, smoky bacon from Madisonville, Tennessee, perfectly caramelized onions, and Emmentaler cheese with seasoned, thick-cut fries. That gloriously rich ensemble is worth the trip alone. But Heiner Brau, up in Covington, across Lake Pontchartrain, brews Besh’s house beers, which have included Lüke Fru (a delicate Kölsch), Lüke Export (a pils with Austrian hops) Lüke Alt (an aged, Düsseldorf-style lager, well matched with meatier fare), and Mardi Gras Festbier, a smooth, potent bock, make the whole package even tastier.

PHILOSOPHY

Nostalgic. Besh sought to make Lüke an homage to the grand old Franco-German brasseries that once reigned in New Orleans, and it succeeds beautifully.

KEY BEER

Bok, or bock (German for “goat”) is a strong lager brewed in the winter to drink in early spring. If your timing is right (December to February), go for the medium-bodied Festbier version of this style, which is copper-hued with a smooth malty profile and just enough acidity and bitterness to complement the rich flavors of the burger.

CRESCENT CITY BREWHOUSE

527 Decatur St. • New Orleans, LA 70130 (888) 819–9330 or (504) 522–0571 crescentcitybrewhouse.com • Established: 1991

SCENE & STORY

Overlooking the busy pedestrian area of Decatur Street in the French Quarter, the oldest brewpub in New Orleans features a handsome oval-shaped wooden bar, oyster bar, and musicians’ area overshadowed by copper German kettles and a huge sign reading oysters and below that “air conditioned,” the two best reasons to come here. Dating to 1794, the building is fairly huge, and in addition to the ground and patio levels there’s a small garden terrace and airy patio upstairs overlooking the street. While the food earns good marks, the best way to experience this bar may be by popping in for a look at the copper work, then buying a beer in a plastic cup from the street-level bar, and heading on your way uptown in a taxi.

PHILOSOPHY

Traditional. House brews from the 17 bbl system include a Pilsner, Vienna-style lager, Munich-style dark, and unfiltered wheat beer, all basic and to some degrees boring; hopefully the brewers will take a look at Nola, Tin Roof, and Bayou Teche and step up their game.

KEY BEER

Black Forest, a Munich-style dark lager, is a medium- to light-bodied brew with roasty notes of caramel and dark chocolate.

THE BULLDOG